VANCOUVER - Each of their six remaining regular season games is a crucial one for the UBC Thunderbirds as they look to lock down a playoff spot with multiple contenders hot on their heels. On the road this weekend they will be put to the test by two Prairie Division opponents heading in opposite directions in the Lethbridge Pronghorns (11-5) and the Calgary Dinos (5-11).
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GAME TIMES
Jan. 31 - 7 p.m. PT - UBC at Lethbridge
Feb. 1 - 6 p.m. PT - UBC at Lethbridge
At 14-2, Victoria has all but secured the top seed in the Pacific Division. In second is Fraser Valley at 11-5, and they have probably the easiest remaining schedule of any team in the conference, making it really a four-team race for the final two playoff spots in the division. Those four teams are third place Thompson Rivers (9-7), fourth place UBC (8-8), and Trinity Western and Mount Royal (7-9) tied for fifth.
The 'Birds won't be playing any of those teams directly in the next three weeks, so all they can do is take care of the schedule in front of them and hope to keep pace, which will mean beating some very tough teams. That starts with Lethbridge this weekend, who will have guaranteed themselves a playoff berth with one more win or one more loss from either Brandon or Calgary. UBC also still has two games with Victoria ahead on the schedule, so at least half of the T-Birds' remaining schedule comes against future playoff teams.
The good news for the 'Birds is they have had lots of success against the Prairie teams so far this year. Since losing their season opener in Regina, UBC has gone 4-1 against the division, including 2-1 against the current playoff-seeded teams. In addition to being a huge boost for their playoff chances, beating Lethbridge would also give the 'Birds a ton of confidence, and the record to back it up, heading into a round one crossover series against a Prairie opponent.
Defence will be the key, as it so often is, when UBC hits the court in Lethbridge. The Pronghorns are the top scoring offence in the conference, and they can stretch teams out with great three-point shooting just as well as they can pound the ball inside. They have three of the top 15 scorers in the conference, including two guards, which will shine a spotlight on the defensive capabilities of UBC's young guard trio of
Jordan Jensen-Whyte,
Isaiah Solomon and
Kedar Wright.
That group got good court time last week during UBC's sweep of UNBC, and head coach
Kevin Hanson was pleased with their effort, especially at the defensive end. Facing a very potent small-ball offence this week, this group will likely be assigned some important defensive responsibilities again, and the 'Birds will probably have two or potentially even all three of them on the court at certain times.
Lethbridge's top scorer is 6-foot-6 forward Brandon Brine, averaging 17.5 points despite his minutes being limited somewhat due to early-season injuries. Brine can score from anywhere, and is a major threat from deep, where he shoots 44 per cent on threes. And that only makes him the second-best three-ball shooter on the team, behind Jared Baker's 48 per cent mark.
So perimeter defence will be at a premium for the T-Birds, but they are well-equipped with the right kind of personnel for that job. UBC has been a strong defensive team all season long, and the aforementioned group of young, energetic guards will make life difficult for Lethbridge's scorers. But there have been inconsistencies and streaky tendencies on the offensive end. Hanson will be hoping that
Tommy Nixon's huge 52-point weekend against UNBC is more trend than radar blip, as the 'Birds could really use another consistent scoring threat, especially around the three-point arc, to complement the work that the likes of
Tonner Jackson and
David Wagner do around the basket.
As for the Dinos, seven straight losses have just about sealed their fate this season. They are still alive mathematically, but would need to win out and have Lethbridge lose out to finish the regular season. Jared Ogungbemi-Jackson is the obvious star of the team, leading the entire conference in scoring (20.5) thanks to his combination of athleticism and a deft shooting touch. He also averages 6.9 rebounds and is a steals machine, but one man can only do so much, and the depth on this Calgary team, especially defensively, leaves much to be desired. The T-Birds can't take anything for granted though, as they need every game they can get, and can't afford to get complacent even against a struggling team.
